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Tequila Monday, Guardian Angel AS score in Great Northeast Series

Monday, May 13, 2019 By: PHHA / Pocono

g>Wilkes Barre, PA — Tequila Monday was a repeat winner in the Great Northeast Open Series (GNOS) for female pacers Sunday night (May 12) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:52.1 over a sloppy track. In the companion GNOS contest for open trotters, also worth $30,000, Guardian Angel AS was sharp in his second outing of the year, winning in 1:53.1, with Homicide Hunter never a major factor in his 2019 debut.

Kissininthesand, second after going first-over against Tequila Monday in the GNOS opener last Saturday, was scratched due to illness.

Apple Bottom Jeans got her customary flying start even from the outside post position seven, with Tequila Monday and Bettor Joy N looped and pressing onward on the first turn. Tequila Monday made the lead nearing the :27 quarter; Bettor Joy N, enjoying her cover until then, went on to get the lead at the three-eighths, backing off the half to :56.1 and the three-quarters in 1:25.

However, Bettor Joy N hadn’t raced since the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series final on April 20 and in the :27.1 sprint home Tequila Monday roared up the famed Pocono Pike, going by easily for a 1-1/4 length victory. Bettor Joy N held admirably for second, with Apple Bottom Jeans cleared late and came on for third.

Tequila Monday has now won all six of her seasonal races, with earnings of $91,750 this year and $833,462 lifetime, during which she has won 23 of 50 starts. Tyler Buter, who is winning quite more than his share of feature races at Pocono in recent days, had the sulky assignment for trainer Hunter Oakes and the ownership of Northfolk Racing Stable and Chuck Pompey.

In the GNOS trotting event, Guardian Angel AS, fourth from the trailing post position 11 in his seasonal bow at The Meadowlands after coming from ninth at the three-quarters, obviously benefited from the outing (the bettors made him the favorite). He let JL Cruze speed away to take the early lead then moved outside to the :27.3 quarter and took command, hanging up middle fractions of :56.4 and 1:25.1, with La Grange A gaining first-over.

The victorious son of Archangel, though, had plenty left in the tank, sprinting home in :28 to be 3-3/4 lengths clear for driver Tim Tetrick, with La Grange A and Weslynn Dancer next in line. Homicide Hunter, unraced since winning the Breeders Crown had a wave of trotters leave inside of him from the outside post eight, settled in fourth, and then stayed in rather than go out for a second move after the long layoff. He was shuffled behind a tired horse in the last quarter, finishing sixth.

Guardian Angel AS, meanwhile raised his lifetime bankroll to $544,780 with his 17th win in 42 lifetime trips to the gate. A winner in a Breeders Crown elimination here last year (he was fourth in the final), the winner is trained by Anette Lorentzon for ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson.

Buter and Tetrick, GNOS winners, were the overall leading drivers of the night: Buter with four wins, Tetrick with three complementing his quartet at Harrah’s Philadelphia earlier in the day.